HAMILTON — If you’re at a Trenton Catholic Academy boys’ basketball game, the Iron Mikes are underperforming and Fred Falchi isn’t hollering and gesticulating on the sidelines, burning through timeouts as he’s done for much of the last 15 seasons, don’t be alarmed.

“Everyone says I have to change with the times — so I’m trying to change with the times,” Falchi said. “And then when I’m quiet they say I’m not coaching. I’m damned if I do, damned if I don’t.”

Falchi’s adopted mindset is a simple one: with this crop of Iron Mikes, they’re smart enough to know when they’re not playing defense, when they’re taking ill-advised shots, when they’re not attacking the center of a zone and when they’re not going to the hoop with their left hand.

Hollering at them about that, the veteran coach has come to believe, is counterproductive.

So when his TCA team took just a two-point lead into the half against a solid Moorestown team last night, albeit one that doesn’t have nearly as much talent as the Iron Mikes, Falchi didn’t say much.

“I told them that they weren’t playing consistently and that we were taking bad shots,” Falchi said.

Message received. The Iron Mikes turned it on after the break, with Malachi Richardson scoring 16 of his game-high 22 points in the second half en route to blowing past Moorestown, 61-43, at the Iron Palace.

Richardson, who also snared 14 rebounds, enters today’s much-anticipated showdown with St. Anthony at the PrimeTime Shootout at Roselle Catholic just 26 points shy of joining the 1,000-point club.

Myles Powell and James Wright each netted 14 points and Marquise Bell joined the trio in double-figures with 10 points.
“We’re aware of it,” Bell said of the Iron Mikes’ lackluster play in the first half. “Once we start taking bad shots and the game’s close at half we realize that we’re not playing as well as we should and that we should start taking better shots.”

With TCA leading just 35-33 midway through the third quarter, the Syracuse-bound Richardson decided it was time to impose his will. He scored 12 straight Iron Mikes’ points, nine of which came either from the free-throw line or via layups.

“I think the players are starting to realize it and that’s the most important thing,” Falchi said of his players’ penchant for turning the switch on and off. “We’re trying to be calm. In the second half, we came out and made all layups. Hopefully they’ll get it. (Today) will be a big test.”

After allowing a 17-point second quarter, TCA held Moorestown to just 16 points in the second half — six in the third quarter — to just 5 of 18 shooting from the field and outrebounded the visitors, 18-9.

“We all need to get rebounds, not just (Richardson),” Bell said. “That’s going to be the basic key (today) and for the rest of the season. We all need to rebound.”

Bell said he and his teammates are well aware they’re not going to have the luxury of waiting a half to turn it on against the vaunted Friars.

“We’re very excited,” Bell said. “I’m excited, the team’s excited. We’re not going to let them run over us. It’s going to be a dog fight.”

Contact Kevin Maloney at Kevmaloney33@yahoo.com. You can follow him on Twitter at Kevmaloney33.